Day 64: Tue 28 Jun - Mareeba

Day 64: Tue 28 Jun - Mareeba

17-25°,  An overcast morning, and almost no wind was a pleasant change. It was a slow start to the day, before Noeleene and I jumped in the car and drove out to Kuranda (42km), for breakfast and a look around. The last time we visited Kuranda was 35 years ago when I was working in Cairns for 3 months while serving on HMAS Gawler which was in refit. Not much has changed in Kuranda since then - it is a lot bigger and lot more touristy though.  We had a nice breakfast then strolled down to the train station and around town before driving out to Wright Lookout and Barron Falls, which was almost just a trickle. We drove back to Mareeba by midday where I washed the ute at the local carwash and then returned to the van where Noeleene set to work on producing a lovely Lemon, Ricotta and Almond Cake - another success win out of the Air Fryer. Greg and I went for a bike ride through a nearby local farming area where we saw quite a variety of crops being grown including Avocados, Mangos, Sugar Cane, Paw Paws, Lemons, Pineapples and we think Euclayptus Trees (more like bushes) for oil. We didn't see any coffee plantations, but we did see the remnants of an old Tobacco farm which were once prominent in the area (there were about 400 tobacco farms in the area in the mid 1980's). On return to the van, after a bit of stretching, we had pre-dinner drinks with Greg and Wendy at our place (I have the awning and privacy screens up which stops a lot of the sneaky cool breeze). Dinner tonight was a tasty veal and pork mince bolognaise with spiral pasta, and a piece of Lemon, Ricotta & Almond cake for desert - a very satisfying end to a lovely day.


Visit to Kuranda after 35 years


Kuranda Hotel

Kuranda Hotel

Lovely old Fig in Kuranda


Kuranda Railway - 35 years since we arrived here from Cairns. It looks exactly the same as it did then


Doongal Art Gallery - there is some fabulous artwork on display here

Doongal Art Gallery

Lovely old church in Kuranda

Colourful artwork outside the Visitor Information Centre

I found Noeleene - I feel there's a pattern of behaviour forming...

Wright Lookout near Barron Falls

Barron Falls - barely a trickle

Cute Preying Mantis sculpture

Healthy looking Paw Paw crops

Healthy looking Paw Paw crops

Didn't expect to see Pineapples growing here

...unsure what it is, but we think it's Eucalyptus Trees (for oil)

Another of Noeleene's success stories from the Air Fryer - Lemon, Ricotta  and Almond Cake. Very nice .


Comments

  1. KarenJune 29, 2022 at 6:25 PM

    So happy your trip continues to be such an amazing adventure. How good to be away from the cold of Canberra.

    ReplyDelete

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